Words of Jesus Christ in "Red"  There are a number of Christians who are confused about their relationship with the Law of Moses (Mosaic Law). Yet the Scripture makes it plain that the Law, though righteous, served no purpose in saving man from his sins. Paul wrote:
This, to us, is very clear. The Law was a schoolmaster ("paidagogos" = tutor), something that taught us the need for salvation by faith in Christ alone. Man has always been hardheaded (woman, too). We have always thought ourselves to be "good enough" to get into God's Graces, good enough to go to Heaven. Adam thought this in the Garden of Eden.
Right after Adam disobeyed God and fell to sin, rather than repent and throw himself on God's Grace he "made aprons". The attitude was "I know I sinned, I know I broke God's commandment, but I can make it better". Adam used fig leaves, a poor item, to dress himself. Man used the second best, poorest material he could use to cover up his sin. Why, in just a few hours a fig leave will wither and start to rot! How stupid, but we're all kind of stupid that way. I don't know if Jesus wanted to laugh or cry when He saw this ridiculous caricature of Adam and Eve in fig leaves, but I do know that He quickly corrected the situation:
.. by creating clothes out of animal hide, much more durable. But notice that the Lord had to sacrifice the innocent in order to cover the sin of the guilty. The animals had done nothing to warrant their death, Adam alone was guilty. But the Innocent had to suffer to right the wrong. It has always been this way. God showed Adam that he couldn't cover his own sins, but Adam nor his children ever learned. When God chose out a people for Himself, Israel, He decided to make it clear to humanity that there was no way we could work our way to Heaven. God gave the Law to man through Moses, not so man could get to Heaven by it, but to make man realize how futile it is to try to attain righteousness outside of the Grace of God.
When most people think of the Mosaic Law what they think of is the "Ten Commandments" (Exodus 20.1-17). These Ten Commandments were the basis of the Law, but they are not the complete Law by any means. The Law was strict, and governed every area of the Israelite's life. On the Sabbath the Israelite was not allowed to work at all, not even to make a piece of toast or to build a fire. The Law was actually in three parts:
How rigorous were these Laws? Very rigorous! If you were caught in adultery, or in homosexuality, or in bestiality, or even cursing your parents - you were stoned to death. If an ox gored a human and the human died, the ox was stoned to death (Exodus 21.28). Murder and rape were punishable by death. If you injured someone, the Law demanded "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth", and you were injured in the same way:
Regarding sanitation, when women were in their time of the month they were considered unclean, and were separated from the rest of Israel. If a woman gave birth she was considered unclean for seven days after the birth (Leviticus 12.2). Those who were diseased, like the lepers, were cast outside of Israel as unclean. You were not allowed to eat certain foods:
Cattle you could eat, but not rabbit or pig. Fish with scales could be eaten, but not fish without scales. The Law governed what you ate, how you cooked it, and when you ate. The Law specified when and how you were to worship, and specified how the Church must be architecturally built. You frequently visited the Temple to atone or make sacrifice for your sins, because you were constantly breaking some aspect of the Law. If you say, "I can follow the Law", then I suggest you carefully read Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. The Law was a "bear", and few could bear up under its commands. None were saved under the Law, but all knew, after their introduction to the Law, that Messiah was not only wanted, but absolutely necessary. The Law was a harsh tutor that taught us we cannot be saved under our own power, but we must be saved by Faith in Christ. The Law, as a tutor, served its purpose when it led us to Christ. Now, as Paul told the Galatians, we are no longer under that tutor, but we're under Grace.
Are we under the Mosaic Law? "Absolutely not!" Paul said, "Christ is the end of the law", that is, if you are a believer. "End" is the Greek "telos" meaning "the goal, the conclusion of an act or state". When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you came out from under the Mosaic Law. Christ ended, terminated the Law for every believer. Praise God that the Mosaic Law has no hold on me! "Praise God that the Mosaic Law has no hold on you!"
But, having said this, are we to assume that the Christian is completely lawless? We are not under the Mosaic Law, but we are still under the Law of the Spirit:
The Mosaic Law was and is righteous, perfect in it's symmetry, wonderfully just, yet it failed. It did not fail because it was imperfect, but because we, its subjects, were imperfect. The Law was "weak through (because of) the flesh", weak because we are weak. We could not attain righteousness through the Mosaic Law because we are, in ourselves, unable. "Yet God did not leave us lawless." At the point of salvation everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as Savior is indwelt by God the Holy Spirit. We are commanded to obey that Law, the Law of the Spirit, the leading of the Holy Spirit. Before, under the Mosaic Code, we were on our own. We obeyed or disobeyed based on our own abilities. Now, in Christ, we are to be "Spirit Led". God fulfills the righteousness of the Law, the righteousness that the Law could not do in us, now through His Holy Spirit who indwells us. We are given a new commandment:
The believer "redeems the time", serves God on this earth not by chasing after the old tutor, the Law, but by being filled with the Holy Spirit. We are filled with the Holy Spirit when we repent of our active sins and seek fellowship with God. We are filled with the Holy Spirit when we give ourselves over to Him, submerge our will to His will, and do as He asks. We are filled with the Holy Spirit when we decide that, no matter what, we will do as our Lord asks. In some ways this is more difficult than life under the old Law. After all, under the Mosaic Law it was all written down, uniform, and all people maintained the same standard (or failed to maintain it). Under the Law of the Spirit things are much more difficult. You see, under the Law of the Spirit you are required to form a relationship with your Heavenly Father through the Spirit. This doesn't just come naturally, dropping out of the Heavens like manna, "but requires the Christian to form a habit of prayer, fasting, Bible study, and SEEKING". It requires the Christian to form patience, to listen for God's direction in your life. It requires the Christian to decrease self, to put off selfishness and self promotion and to put on willingness to follow God at any cost. I pray to the Father daily that Christians could and would follow after the Spirit filled life, that they would study their Bibles, that they would actively seek to grow in God.
You only have so long on this earth to serve your Father. You must redeem that time for Him, giving it value that will follow you into Heaven. "Let me tell you a secret: until you get into the Word, get into prayer and fasting, get into a daily walk with God you will not grow as a believer." Until you settle in your mind that you are going to attend "and be part of" a body of Believers, the Church, the Body of Christ, you are not going to grow as a believer. Until you make up your mind that you are going to nurture your relationship with God through His Spirit and find your spiritual Gift you are not going to grow as a believer. Until you recognize the Holy Bible as God's inerrant Word, and treat it preciously in your life, you are not going to grow as a believer. This site does not exist to tell you "what" to believe, but to tell you "what I", in my relationships with the Father "believe" (and have grown to know) the Bible teaches. Could I be wrong? My goodness, I'm only a man! But I seek, I learn, I grow, I study, and recognize all the while that the " I " part is pitiful, but the Spirit is wonderful. Do not read the studies on this site then say, "I believe this because they says so". No, No, a thousand times No! Read the studies, open your Bible, then let God have His way with you. If God gives you a truth, then do as the Scripture says:
Assemble (in Church), "exhort" (help and encourage, not condemn) because the time is short. Grow, believer! Write a paper, send it to me and share your growth with the Church - if it's pure Scripture I'll post it. But do not forsake your spiritual growth for the Law, nor this site. You are under the Law of the Spirit: seek Him, seek the Word, pray, grow!
Christ only dwells in your heart by faith when you are "strengthened with might by His Spirit". The Holy Spirit that indwells each believer is your source of power. Paul was able to have Christ magnified in his body (Phil 1.20) because he heeded the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was not given to magnify Himself (John 16.14), but to empower the believer to glorify Christ on the earth. Your body is the sanctuary of that blessed Spirit (1 Cor 6.19). He indwells you, if you have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. He does not indwell you so that you can run around clucking like a duck, or so you can laugh uncontrollably, or so that you can make a spectacle of yourself for the world to see while bringing mockery on the Body of Christ. He doesn't indwell you so you can sin freely, or blaspheme God, or mock His Word. "No", He indwells you so you can serve Christ and honor Christ in your every thought and deed. He indwells you so you can lead others to Christ and feed others to spiritual maturity - to feed you, so that you grow into the express image of Christ on the earth. The last sanctuary of God made of brick and stone was destroyed when the legions of Titus overflowed the walls of Jerusalem in 70 AD. That was when the Temple of Israel was destroyed and the Jews were dispersed. "God took this Temple away to cause us to realize that we who believe are now His temple". "Behave as the Temple" of the Lord should, believer. "Build your relationship with God!"
Having said all this, it is important to note that there are five ways you can sin against the Holy Spirit. Two of these sins can only be committed by "unbelievers", but the other three are commonly committed by "believers".
Matthew 12:22-32 "Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." When I was a young Christian others in the Church would hold this sin over my head, "Be careful - agree with me, or you may be guilty of blaspheme of the Holy Spirit". This is, indeed, a fear inspiring warning. Who wants to blaspheme the Holy Spirit and lose their soul? Not me! "But the truth of the matter is, blaspheme of the Holy Spirit is not something the believer can do - it is a sin restricted to the unbeliever". If you'll look at the context of this passage you'll see that Jesus was making this warning to "unsaved" Pharisees, not to the Church. These unsaved people saw Jesus heal (something clearly indicative of the Spirit's work) and attributed this healing to Satan. Someone who sees the work of God, a clear work, then attributes that work to Satan is so far gone from reality that he can never accept salvation. These Pharisees were locked into damnation by their own mindset, and this is the reason that this sin is so terrible. To have your mind set against God the Spirit and against Christ is an unforgivable sin. I see this mindset frequently around the Internet on sites manned by infidels who claim everything from "Jesus wasn't real in history" to "He was a wizard". These people are guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and never will be saved. "But to say that this is a sin the believer can commit - no, the context doesn't support this interpretation". Acts 7:51 "Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." Those who reject salvation by Christ alone are guilty of "resisting the Holy Spirit". This includes all those who follow after Judaism (Jesus was only a carpenter), Mormonism (Jesus was only a man), Catholicism (the "Holy Mother" is involved in salvation), Seventh Day Adventists (the Law of Moses saves), Jehovah's Witnesses/ Russelites (Jesus never physically resurrected), Islam (Mohammed saves), Hinduism (Buddha saves), and a wealth of other cults. The Holy Spirit comes to man to try and gently call him to salvation in Christ and Christ alone, but sadly many resist this Spirit and plant other seeds in their lives. They seek to "add to" the message of the free Gospel, or reject that Gospel outright for their own Gospel. The way of those who never find Jesus, or only find their own salvation by a means of Jesus + my thang = salvation will not be saved. Here's Jesus' word on it: John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Add anything to this simple Gospel message and die unsaved. Acts 5:3-5 "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things." Because, since He indwells you, He always knows when you're lying. Many believers reach an early end to this life by habitually lying to God the Holy Spirit. The New Testament Scripture has ample testimony to it (1 Corinthians 5.1-5; 11.29-30). 1 Thessalonians 5:19 "Quench not the Spirit." By refusing to heed His call, or by doing what He tells you not to do, "this is quenching the Holy Spirit". Quenching the Spirit may not involve an act of immorality (as in committing adultery, or lying), but can be an act of disobedience in service. For instance, you know that the Scripture commands you to assemble as a part of the Church. You decide to "not" go to Church, you are quenching the Spirit. The Scripture tells you that all believers (of which you are one) has spiritual Gifts (1 Corinthians 12), but you're too lazy to apply yourself and grow as a Christian and thus discover that Gift. Or, and here's my personal favorite, you are given a spiritual Gift but you're too lazy to use it in Church. As a member of a church I'm very familiar with this form of quenching. Every year that rolls around the nominating committee has to beg, threaten, plead, or bribe many of the Body into positions as teachers, leaders, ushers, or servants. The excuses: "I'm too old", "I'm too busy", "I have my own agenda", "The job's not my cup of tea", etc. Since the Body has many members, and since Gifts are distributed in the Body by the Spirit who knows our needs, then either members are quenching the Spirit or the Spirit just isn't doing His job. "The former and not the latter, dear friend, is always the case". When you quench the Holy Spirit you only hurt yourself, for by quenching Him you cut off the fount of blessing from God. There is no greater joy than doing as God calls you to do, and if He calls you to sweep floors then do it - you'll be blessed many times over for being obedient. Ephesians 4:30-32 "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." You grieve the Holy Spirit when you let active immorality back into your life to reign as king. Active immorality rears its ugly head in business meetings of the Church when two parties argue over the correct course of action rather than seek God's leading. Active immorality rears its ugly head when believers hate one another, rather than exhorting and loving one another. Active immorality rears its ugly head when our own personal agenda becomes more important that God's, when we place our own selves above His wishes, when we decide that the pleasure of sin is preferable to fellowship with our Creator.
Yet, in many of our Churches today, Pastors have allowed their flocks to remain at the baby stage rather than encouraging growth in spirituality. Many Pastors have encouraged a "programs oriented" Church rather than a Bible driven Church, lest they offend any and the numbers of the congregation drops. "My goodness, don't want to lose my pulpit!". Many Churches are experiencing phenomenal growth in numbers, yet the average Christian couldn't stand under the persecution that the early Church went through. In fact, few Christians could stand under the persecution the Church is facing in the Muslim countries, or in communist China. God expects you to be a babe in Christ when you're first saved, but the Holy Spirit expects you to grow and mature beyond this point. "Seek God, believer!" Seek Him through His Word, through prayer and fasting, and within the Body of Christ. Grow beyond that baby stage, and build an honest relationship with God through that precious Holy Spirit who indwells you. Study the Law of Moses - it is a holy and wonderful Law, and you'll learn much of God's righteousness as you study it. But seek no other Law outside of the leading of God's precious Holy Spirit. 
 Send E-mail to Russ: webslave for Christ ( russ@jesuswept.com ) with questions or comments about this web site and it's content. Last modified: 12/04/2002 |
